The EIB supports the greening of regional public transport in the Netherlands. Public transport operator Qbuzz, a subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, will benefit from a €70 million EIB loan, joining Société Générale, which acted as initial arranger, lessor, and senior lender for the same amount, all in support of the company’s switch to zero emission mobility. Qbuzz has put one of the largest electric bus fleets in the Netherlands in operation in the Dutch province of Zuid-Holland, covering cities such as Leiden, Alphen aan den Rijn and Gouda. The financing also supports charging facilities for these electric buses, including the installation of high-capacity electric infrastructure to connect Qbuzz depots to the national grid.
“The ongoing shift to sustainable mobility is not only important from a climate point of view, but very much also from a European energy independence angle.” noted EIB Head of Office Chantal Schrijver. “In the larger framework of the energy transition, Dutch companies and public sector players are doing their bit to make operations environmentally sustainable, and energetically independent. We are here to support that.”
Chief Financial Officer Angelo De Carlo at Qbuzz said, “Collaboration has been a key success factor throughout this project. What we are doing in the Netherlands in the transition to emission-free public transport is unique in Europe. Delegations from Belgium, Finland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Germany and outside Europe from Japan, Kenya and India have come to see how we approach this transformation. There is a willingness everywhere to contribute to climate goals through emission-free public transport, which is very encouraging. At the same time, practice shows that making public transport more sustainable is not an easy task. Nevertheless, Qbuzz continues to bring together different stakeholders and work collaboratively to take meaningful steps for our climate”.
The electric buses have replaced a fleet of diesel buses, which supports broader European objectives in terms of cutting CO 2-emissions and supporting the availability of sustainable public transport to disincentivise private car use. Qbuzz uses the new electric vehicles to serve the “Zuid-Holland Noord” concession area, as defined by the Province of Zuid-Holland, notably covering cities such as Leiden, Alpen aan de Rijn and Gouda.
